Jason Kidd underwent significant knee surgery in the offseason and NBA GM's do not overlook that fact.  Kidd is in his 30s now and may not be that same player that led the Nets to the Finals two consecutive seasons.

And for this reason no trade involving Kidd is imminent, as GM's will want to see how he has recovered from the surgery in actual play before giving up a few quality players and/or draft picks for Kidd and his massive contract.

While most may consider the Nets to be in the midst of a rebuilding effort after losing the likes of Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles and Lucious Harris amongst others with little coming back in return, do not count on Nets coach Lawrence Frank to have anything to do with it.

"I read and hear what's said, (but) we are not rebuilding -- once you rebuild, it's an excuse to lose," Frank said yesterday in his pre-camp meeting with reporters.

"Everyone is criticizing our talent. But what is talent? Every team has physical talent. Being a good teammate, understanding your role, competing every single night, taking good shots, playing with all your heart, playing through nagging injuries are talents. That's what we have to do. Regardless of expectations and what the roster looks like, we feel if we play Nets' basketball we're going to win games."

Speaking of talent Nets GM Ed Stefanski said the team has hit a wall in talks with Travis Best, who is looking for guaranteed money.

There is also talk of the Nets claiming they have a two-year extension awaiting Frank's signature, but someone close to the coach claims no such offer exists.

Kevin McHale, vice president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves, said there is nothing to a story carried this week in the Journal News of Westchester, N.Y. It reported that the Wolves are involved in a three-team trade and could wind up with Jason Kidd of the Nets and Kurt Thomas of the Knicks in exchange for Wally Szczerbiak, Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson.

The story said the Knicks would send Thomas to the Nets and end up with Szczerbiak and New Jersey's Aaron Williams. The Knicks would also wind up with the Wolves' Cassell and Johnson.

Kidd, coming off knee surgery, has $90 million left on a $103 million contract he signed last summer.

However, while McHale wouldn't confirm it, other NBA sources report that the Wolves did have a strong interest in a deal for Kidd, but the Nets had no interest in dealing him.

According to Nets chief executive Rod Thorn, It does not seem likely they will deal their all-star point guard.  "I would be very, very surprised if Jason Kidd is traded," Thorn said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Many teams have been mentioned as potential suitors for Mr. Kidd including Portland and Minnesota.  However, the Nets will only deal Kidd if they feel they are made significantly better by the trade.

"I would never say I won't trade any player," Thorn said. "But you are talking about one of the best players in the league. To think we are just going to give him away is foolish. It's mind boggling."

Jason Kidd averaged 15.5 points and 9.2 assists last season in 67 games while also leading the league with nine triple-doubles.  Mr. Kidd has five years left on his current contract, and is slated to earn $14.8 million this season.

'The Nets' interest in trading Jason Kidd has moved the Knicks closer to exchanging Kurt Thomas for Wally Szczerbiak, according to several NBA sources.'

In this scenario; the Knicks wouls send Kurt Thomas to the Nets and receive Wally Szczerbiak and Aaron Williams.

The Nets would get Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson with Thomas.

The Timberwolves are the team trying to get this done. Isiah Thomas also wouldn't mind having Wally Szczerbiak.

'Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has charged his GM, Kevin McHale, to acquire Kidd, according to an NBA executive involved in the talks, and the Nets' All-Star point guard has told management he would accept a trade to Minnesota. With Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles jettisoned in the purge ordered by new owner Bruce Ratner, and with the Nets staring at a series of bleak lame-duck seasons in the Meadowlands before moving to Brooklyn, Kidd wants out in the worst way.'

"But is anyone willing to take him and the $90 million after knee surgery?" said one NBA executive with knowledge of the talks. "I wouldn't buy a racehorse that couldn't run, even if it was the greatest racehorse of all time."

'To take on Szczerbiak and Williams, the Knicks would have to rid themselves of another salary in addition to Thomas'. Isiah Thomas is hoping against hope to convince someone to take Moochie Norris or Shandon Anderson off his hands.'

The Nets and Rod Thorn are nearing completion on a three-year contract extension, ending speculation that the team president would leave when his current agreement expires after next season.

Thorn confirmed his commitment Wednesday to staying the course with the franchise, saying ownership and his attorney were finalizing the details of the contract.

Several sources close to Thorn said he had a change of heart about staying with the Nets after the original investment group entering into ownership with developer Bruce Ratner dissolved. Only after growing comfortable with the second wave of investors buying into the group did Thorn finally consent to reconstructing the franchise for a second time.

One of the most highly respected executives in the NBA, Thorn transformed a beleaguered Nets' franchise into a two-time Eastern Conference champion, earning NBA Executive of the Year honors in 2002. Thorn had been entering the final season of his original five-year contract and would've been a sought-after free agent around the NBA.

This development makes a Kidd trade even more likely, as there is no pressure on Thorn to win immediately.  It is almost preferred for the Nets to dismantle completely now and begin rebuilding for when they relocate.

The Portland Trail Blazers aren't the only team discussing a Jason Kidd trade, as the Minnesota Timberwolves have thrown their chips at Rod Thorn.

Latrell Sprewell and Wally Szczerbiak would be included in the package for Kidd.

While Kidd, 31, desperately wants out of the dismantling Nets, he's determined to find his way to a championship contender. For that reason alone, the chance to unite with Kevin Garnett makes the Timberwolves a far more attractive destination than Portland. The Blazers and Nets have held discussions about a Kidd for Abdur-Rahim trade, but "nothing is near imminent," one source familiar with the negotiations said.

Other teams Kidd would want to play for are Dallas, the Lakers, San Antonio and Sacramento.

Thorn has long been intrigued with the Blazers' No. 1 draft pick in 2004, Coney Island high school star Sebastian Telfair, and ownership would love to have him in a Nets' uniform once the team moves to a new downtown arena in Brooklyn. Nevertheless, sources said, the Blazers are reluctant to trade Telfair, believing the most appealing scenario would be to let the teenage point guard learn as an understudy to Kidd.

"This has to make sense for us," Thorn said. "Jason would like to play for a team considered a contender to win a championship. If you look at our needs, they're at power forward, and if Jason doesn't play for us, at point guard."

Sprewell and Szczerbiak are small forwards, positions that don't address Thorn's desire to bring back replacements for power forward Martin and Kidd. Still, Sprewell and Szczerbiak could be important pieces of a package, if a third team could be lured into the conversations.

"If Jason was a free agent right now, would anybody out there give him $90 million?" one Western Conference official asked Wednesday. "The luxury tax in the fifth year of his deal at $20 million a season is going to be a killer for a capped-out team."

A byproduct of the potential Blazer trade for Jason Kidd, would be the affect it would have upon rookie point guard Sebastian Telfair.  Kidd would serve as a mentor to the young guard, as he finished out his career and Telfair develops.

"Would it shake my confidence?" Telfair said, on a possible trade for Kidd. "Not at all. I'll take Jason for my first year or two. Maybe I could learn some things from him."

Since early July, Telfair has been living in Portland, learning the pro point-guard position from someone who's not a bad substitute for Kidd as a teacher, as it is. Telfair already knows that he's lucky to be making the jump from high school to the most difficult position in the NBA to learn with Maurice Cheeks on the floor.

The Nets continued to refuse to comment yesterday on speculation that they might trade Jason Kidd, but team officials are perturbed that talk of trading Kidd for Portland's Shareef Abdur-Rahim had been portrayed so seriously in the media, an Eastern Conference executive said.

The Nets have had cursory conversations with several teams, including Portland, about Kidd, but nothing remotely serious, the executive said. The executive said the Nets were not shopping Kidd and that their hope was to keep him.

New Jersey is baffled why Portland's president, Steve Patterson, made comments Tuesday indicating that actual trade talks involving Kidd and Abdur-Rahim had occurred. He was quoted on CBSSportsline.com as saying talks regarding the two players are "interesting, but I don't know if anything will happen."

Blazer president Steve Patterson has confirmed that they are indeed working on a deal that would send Jason Kidd to the West Coast for forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

"It's early," Patterson said. "It's interesting, but I don't know if anything will happen."

Another source told SportsLine.com that the Blazers are busy getting opinions on the micro-fracture surgery that Kidd had on his left knee July 1 that figures to have him out until December. The surgery was successful, and Kidd has made it clear he would like to leave the Nets, who were sold to Bruce Ratner in the spring and have essentially purged their roster since then.

Perhaps the biggest problem with the deal is the Blazers drafted prep point guard Sebastian Telfair with the 13th pick overall in the 2004 draft. Add to that, they already have point guards Damon Stoudamire and Nick Van Exel making some $27 million between them.

The concept prompted Steve Patterson to joke, "Actually, we're trying to build a roster with just point guards and small forwards."

Both players played their college basketball for the California Golden Bears.